Document 1 (JP 2011-171166 A) discloses a charging connector of a conventional example. This charging connector has a pistol (handgun) shape as a whole, and includes a connector body constituting an almost front half part, and a grip extending orthogonally downward from a rear part of the connector body. The connector body and the grip are formed integrally as a synthetic resin molded product. There is a hood part with a hollow cylindrical shape protruding from a front face of the connector body. Further, there is a lever accommodated in an upper part of the connector body. This lever includes a latch (craw) at its end with the lever being exposed outside on a front edge of an upper face of the connector body. Additionally, there is a plurality of terminal accommodating parts with hollow cylindrical shapes inside the hood part, and each terminal accommodating part accommodates a power supply terminal (female contact).
On the other hand, the electric vehicle is equipped with a vehicular connector (charging inlet) into which the charging connector is to be removably plugged. The vehicular connector includes a vehicular housing allowed to be engaged with the charging connector. The vehicular housing is of synthetic resin and includes a housing body allowed to be engaged in the hood part. There is a plurality of power supply terminals (male contact) inside the housing body. Note that, there is a seal ring provided between the power supply terminal and an inner wall of the terminal accommodating part for the purpose of waterproof.
There is an engaging hollow cylinder provided to an outer periphery of the housing body, and the hood part is allowed to be engaged between the housing body and the engaging hollow cylinder. There is a lock protrusion provided on an upper face of the engaging hollow cylinder. This lock protrusion is allowed to be engaged with the latch provided at the end of the lever.
When the housing body is fitted into the hood part, the male contact inside the housing body is connected to the female contact inside the hood part. Additionally, when the charging connector is engaged with the charging inlet, the latch is engaged with the lock protrusion, and thereby the charging connector and the charging inlet are kept in engagement with each other.
In the conventional example disclosed in Document 1, the power supply terminal of the charging connector is accommodated in the terminal accommodating unit of the charging connector without covered with anything. Hence, when the charging connector is plugged into or pulled out from the charging inlet, excessive stress is likely to occur at a junction between the power supply terminal and a conductor of an electric wire. Such excessive stress may repeatedly occur at the junction, and this may lead to a decrease in long-term reliability of the charging connector.